The ConDems Killed Someone

A woman in Solihull has committed suicide and blamed the government in her suicide note. So far, the ConDems have been blamed for the economy and the weather, so it was only a matter of time before they were accused of killing somebody.

The cause of Stephanie Bottrill’s suicide is apparently the new “bedroom tax”, which was going to cost her an extra £80.00 a month because she had two spare bedrooms in her property.

There’s mixed feelings on this subject and as usual, Twitter is a great open-forum for seeing the various views. Those who had considered suicide before could relate to this as could those who relied on some form of benefits, but had had them cut or wouldn’t be able to afford to have them cut.

What annoyed me was that someone stated that a person who had never relied on benefits should not comment on this woman’s suicide. I can only assume that the same also applies to those who haven’t considered suicide before, leaving only those who have relied on some form of benefits and/or have considered suicide to debate this. What utter nonsense.

Suicide note Credit: ITV News Central

I’ve never relied on any form of benefits nor have I ever had suicidal thoughts, but perhaps that makes me the ideal person to comment on this situation?

I feel sorry for Bottrill and her family and it’s sad that she chose to end her life at only 53 years of age. Of course, the media have jumped on this and further Cameron-bashing is taking place- the ConDems will never receive full, public approval and will always receive negative press.

Personally, I agree with the principle of “bedroom tax”, but I think that sufficient support should be provided to those who need it and that personal circumstances can be taken into consideration.

In Bottrill’s case, she had two empty bedrooms in her property. If bedrooms are going to waste, the property can be put to better use- that’s obvious. A single person occupying a three-bedroom home when there are other families waiting to be housed is uneconomical.

What’s not focussed on in Bottrill’s case is the fact that she had been offered three alternative properties; a flat which, granted, may not have been suitable due to the fact that Botrill suffered from myasthenia gravis, a second property which was too far away from a bus stop and a third property which was simply too far away from her friends.

I appreciate that it may not be the most apt phrase under the circumstances, but beggars cannot be choosers.

The reason Bottrill committed suicide was because she clearly had suicidal tendencies in the first place and she didn’t want to be too far away from her friends. I can relate to the decision to commit suicide due to being lonely and missing your friends, but to blame the government (or anyone else, for that matter) in a suicide note is a bit of a cop-out.

There’s always a way out that doesn’t involve taking your own life but if you can’t see that and you don’t try to/feel you can seek help before committing suicide, I don’t think any amount of help would have prevented you from taking this way out eventually, anyway.

No doubt I’m going to be accused of speaking out of turn because I’ve not been “there” and therefore, I’m not qualified to comment on such matters, but remember that suicide is somebody’s choice to take their own life. You can’t hold anyone else responsible for that.

If you ever have suicidal tendencies and feel as though you have no one to speak to, you can contact The Samaritans by telephone on 08457 90 90 90 or by emailing jo@samaritans.org.

If you’re struggling financially, you can contact The Money Advice Service; a government-supported, free-of-charge service which offers financial guidance and advice.

Will those with suicidal tendencies end up taking their own life anyway?

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About Ninja Hedgehog

I’m Ninja Hedgehog, the creator of the Ninja Hedgehog website. I've written various things over the years but started Ninja Hedgehog in October 2011. I write about all kind of subjects but will never write about sport. Ever.